Gerald Floyd has been a familiar face on Columbia stages for several decades. A native of Lake City and a graduate of the University of South Carolina, he has played mostly comic or character roles in more than 50 productions in Columbia theaters. For more than 30 years, he taught English at Dreher High School, where he was voted "Teacher of the Year" several times, as well as selected twice by readers of The State as "Columbia's Best Teacher." Since retirement he has worked part-time at Dunbar Funeral Home. Some of his favorite roles include Peanut in Southern Baptist Sissies, Hugo in God's Man in Texas, and the Narrator in Rocky Horror Show at Trustus Theatre, Amos in Chicago and Albin in La Cage Aux Faux at Workshop Theatre, Sancho in Man of La Mancha and Richard Henry Lee in 1776 at Town Theatre, Mrs. Bovine in Fie! Fie! Fifi and Sir Evelyn Oakleigh in Anything Goes at USC, and KoKo in The Mikado and Modern Major General in The Pirates of Penzance at Columbia Lyric Opera.
Barbara Lowrance Hughes has appeared recently at Trustus as the Actress in Talking With, Dean Kenney in Spinning Into Butter, and previously in such roles as Barbara in Drift, Claire in Free Will & Wanton Lust, Linda in Death of a Salesman, Kate in Sylvia, Grace in Pterodactyls, and Hannah & Ethel in Angels in America, as well as roles in The Sea Gull, I Hate Hamlet, and others. She also works in other area theatres, having appeared as Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion in Winter, Paulina in The Winter’s Tale, and Eleanor in King John with the SC Shakespeare Company. At Workshop Theatre she has performed lead roles in Sordid Lives, Steel Magnolias, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Social Security, Love Letters, Le Cage, Rumors, and others. She performed at Theatre SC in You Can’t Take it With You, as well as in lead roles in productions such as Moon Over Buffalo, Cabaret, Broadway Bound, et al, in theatres throughout the Southeast. She does film and TV work, and in “real life” is a Realtor with The Wolfe Co.
Becky Hunter has appeared on stage at Trustus in The Rocky Horror Show, Blues That Go Bump in the Night, Balm in Gilead, Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, Sister Mary Ignatious Explains it All for You, Pigs of Love, Sex and Rage in a Soho Loft, Indians, Hair, The American Car, Tapestry, Bus Stop, Company, Sexx Rangers of Venus, This Town, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, How I Learned to Drive, The Death of Bessie Smith, Hello Again, The Bald Soprano, Dirty Blonde, Bat Boy: The Musical, Sylvia, Heart Divided, The Underpants, Wax Work, Bug, and Reefer Madness: the Musical. She has also performed at Workshop Theatre in Ruthless, Love Letters, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Pippin, La Cage Aux Follies, Death Trap, and Sordid Lives. In addition to acting, Becky has worked at Trustus as a director (Mavens), stage manager (Falsettos, Oleanna, Clishmaclaver, A…My Name is Alice, Whimsigiddy, A…My Name is Still Alice, Dick Johnson Again, A Show of Hands, Indians, Closer Than Ever, What Doesn’t Kill Us, Fuddy Meers, Frankie & Johnny in the Clair de Lune, and Rabbit Hole), sound production assistant (The Boys Next Door, All in the Timing, Closer Than Ever, and The Kiss of the Spider Woman), costumer (As Bees in Honey Drown, The Wonder of the World, and Crowns), and prop person (Copyman). At Workshop Theatre, Becky costumed Messiah on the Frigidaire and Tiny Tim is Dead. In real life, Becky is the Deputy Chief Staff Attorney at the South Carolina Supreme Court.
Lou Kaplan is the senior member of the company and, as such, has done everything there is to do in theatre. Lou’s stage work includes Death of a Salesman, Long Day’s Journey into Night, I’m Not Rappaport, Angels in America, Merchant of Venice and Glengarry Glen Ross, among others.
Elena Martínez-Vidal has been a Company member for 15 years but has been involved with Trustus since 1987. She graduated with a BA in Theatre and French from Dickinson College, PA and a MFA: Acting Specialty from USC, SC. Before moving to Columbia, Elena acted in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and France. Elena is the Chair of the Humanities Department of Midlands Technical College. December 2008, Elena will graduate with a certificate of “Leadership in Higher Education” from USC and hopefully will embark on a PhD. Some of her favorite roles are: Maria Callas in Master Class, Bella in Lost in Yonkers, Stevie in The Goat, and, of course, Kathy in Parallel Lives: The Kathy and Mo Show. In addition, this actor-director is married to the love-of-her life, the handsome Joe Morales, with whom she renewed her vows of marriage for their 10 years together this summer. She is also mother to Zazi, Max, and Sara Bella (the cats), and step-mother (but not wicked) to Carlos Morales.
Darion McCloud has been a Trustus company member for over a decade. He is a Founding Father and Artistic Director of NiA Theatre Company, Inc., one of Trustus' "umbrella" companies. Darion is also a storyteller, a company member with S.C. Shakespeare Co. and the Outreach Manager with the Columbia Museum of Art. Some of Darion's favorite NiA directing and acting credits include Intimate Apparel (a NiA/Trustus co-production), The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, along with the HOLLA!!!! Series and TopDog/UnderDog. Favorite Trustus credits include Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Dutchman, The Transparency of Val and Boys in the Band.
Mallory Morris is excited to join the Trustus family as a member of Armed Chair Productions. Mallory has most recently been props master for Southern Baptist Sissies and Mama Mouse/Others in Trustus Youth Theatre's Town Mouse, Country Mouse. A senior at USC, Mallory enjoys acting and stage managing. Favorite credits include: Unknown Woman/Damis in Cabal of Hypocrites, Inez in No Exit and Dana in By the Sea, as well as stage managing Mr. Marmalade, Noise’s Off, and Lysistrata. Mallory is no stranger to tech theatre having helped in various roles in many productions, has worked with Richland One high school students in Translation in Ten and helps run Green Room Productions, USC's undergraduate theatre group, with Martha Hearn. This summer, Mallory has been fortunate enough to take an intensive in the Suzuki Method with Steve Pearson and Robyn Hunt in Columbia and travel to New York for a month to continue her training. She will be directing a production influenced by Suzuki training for her senior thesis and hopes to eventually teach Suzuki herself. Mallory thanks her family and friends for their constant love and support, Martha, Chad, Joe and EG for bringing her into Trustus and especially Alex, who is her rock.
Kevin Radford is a graduate of the African American workshop 2000 (now the Multi Ethnic Workshop) and has appeared in several productions at USC, Workshop Theatre, and of course Trustus. In his day job, Kevin who is originally from Philadelphia, works with disabled high school students in their transition from school to work. Kevin who is also a graduate student looks forward to putting away the books and getting back on stage in the near future once he completes his studies.
Lonetta Thompson is looking forward to another exciting year with the Trustus family. She was most recently seen on the Trustus main stage as Esther Mills in Intimate Apparel. She has also appeared in Strom in Limbo as Martha Chestnut and Aunt Cora in the 'No' Play. Lonetta also appeared in, directed and/or stage managed such NiA Company production as The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein, 4 Boxes, and Photochemical. Most recently, she served as stage manager for the Playwright's Festival winner, Better Angels. Other Columbia area credits include Strange Fruit at USC's Longstreet Theatre, Purlie at Workshop Theatre, Loose Knit at the Newberry Opera House and several shows with Gene Washington Productions.
Ellen Rodillo-Fowler is thrilled to continue being a part of the Trustus family as a member of the NiA Company. Trustus credits include Carmen in My Name Is Bess, the Nurse in Strom In Limbo, and various NiA Company productions such as Charlotte in Dr. Fish, ...Whisper..., The Eight: Reindeer Monologues, An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein, and various iterations of the Holla series, and Whatchamacallit! She has also performed at other venues in Columbia, starring in several productions, including High School Musical, The Full Monty, The Sorrows of Stephen, Fefu and Her Friends, Man of La Mancha, and Macbeth. Aside from onstage work, she enjoyed her first outing as an Assistant Stage Manager for the Trustus Late Night, Torch Song Trilogy.
Clark Wallace is a native of Columbia and a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he is employed as an editor for University Technology Services. Clark has most recently appeared on the Workshop stage in The Full Monty, which was one of his favorite theatre experiences. He has also appeared in some other Workshop productions such as, Wait Until Dark, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita and Amadeus. Clark has also appeared on the Trustus stage in such shows as Balm In Gilead, Indians, Death of a Salesman, Bus Stop, Rush Limbaugh in Night School and Straights. He is a member of the South Carolina Shakespeare Company and has appeared in Julius Caesar, Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth. Clark is also a proud member of the NIA Company and has played Hansel and Grandma in NIA’s fall children’s show and looks forward to the 2007 season. Clark has also worked with High Voltage theatre in Reservoir Dogs. Clark would like to thank his family and friends for their support throughout the years.
Dianne Wilkins has been involved with Trustus since its inception. She can usually be found tending bar on Saturday night, but also has appeared on stage, most recently in the revived Talking With. Lately, she's concentrated on costuming, and has been the costumer for Frozen, Tick-Tick Boom, Golf, The Goat, and Copy Man. Dianne has been in the retail world in Columbia for 24 years and is presently "costuming" people both at Revente (Columbia's #1 consignment shop) and The Ivory Tower (an upscale boutique on Devine St.).
Monica Wyche received her MFA in Acting from the University of South Carolina, and is honored to be the current South Carolina Arts Commission Theatre Fellow. By day, Monica teaches Theatre at Blythewood High School, where she is proud to work with several members of the Trustus Apprentice Company. Before returning to Trustus, Monica worked with the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Venture Theatre in Montana, Aspect Theatre and Theatre Hikes in Chicago, and toured the US with the Aquila Theatre Company, under the direction of Robert Richmond. In Columbia, Monica has worked with Workshop Theatre (Juanita in Sordid Lives), the South Carolina Shakespeare Company (Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Lady Anne in Richard III, and others), and in many productions at the University of South Carolina. Over the years at Trustus, several roles stand out as favorites: Catherine in Proof, Elizabeth in No Place Like Home, Agnes in Bug, Louise in The Underpants, Transylvanian #6 in The Rocky Horror Show (Monica's first and last stab at a musical), Mother in Southern Baptist Sissies, and her most favorite of all, Nancy in last season's Frozen. This season, Monica will begin collaborating alongside Dean Poyner, Chad Henderson and Carin Bendas, on an original piece to be perfomed at The Studios of Key West (www.tskw.org) next summer.